1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a label printer for printing characters, bar codes, and the like on labels (tags) such as clothing tags, distribution labels, and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a manner of printing used when the label size is larger than the memory size of a frame buffer on which information to be printed on a label is drawn.
2. Description of the Related Art
When the label size is larger than the memory size of a frame buffer on which information to be printed on a label (bit map image) is drawn, the information is printed on the label as follows. More specifically, when a plurality of drawing fields (e.g., bar code drawing fields B1 and B2, and character drawing fields C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 shown in FIG. 6) are printed on a label, the label is divided into a plurality of areas at portions including no drawing fields, as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 6, and the drawing fields in the respective divided areas are sequentially drawn on the frame buffer, thereby printing information on one label.
According to the method of dividing a label into a plurality of areas at portions including no drawing fields, however, when drawing fields B1, B2, C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 are printed on a label in a layout shown in FIG. 7, for example, it is difficult to divide the label at portions including no drawing fields.